It has yet again been proved – the Indian National Students Association (INSA) UK is working tirelessly for the betterment of the Indian students.
It always takes up students’ issues and works towards solving them. On July 8, INSA UK hosted a programme in tie-up with the Queen Mary University Indian Society to bring awareness about the Graduate Route visa, often referred to as the post-study work visa or PSW for short. INSA UK had previously written many letters to the High Commission of India in London and the UK government to work closely to solve the PSW crisis and finally, after great efforts, it has come to a positive conclusion.
INSA UK invited Harjap Bhangal of GLS solicitors, an accomplished immigration lawyer who has valuable experience in the field. He explained the process to more than 110 student members in attendance of the virtual programme. With his sense of humour, a bit of wit, and depth of knowledge, he entertained and educated the students in an interactive fun session.
If you missed the event, here is a brief on the details covered. A post-study work visa is a strong incentive for international students to be able to stay on at the end of their degrees from a UK university to work for two years or find a job/employer, to gain that valuable work experience. This allows the student to work full time, with no time restriction as the present student visa puts a stamp on 20 hours per week only. The student can also start a business in the UK, which is not permitted on a student visa.
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According to the Graduate Route visa, which came into force from this month, Indian students have the option to live in the UK for at least two years after the successful completion of their course. You might have to watch out for the word “successful completion”, as this is a prerequisite to proceed with an application.
You must be present in the UK while applying for this visa, your current visa should be a Student visa or Tier 4 (General) Student Visa, and you should have studied a Bachelor’s degree, Post-Graduate degree, or any other eligible course for a minimum period with a Student visa or Tier 4 (General) Student visa.
If this checklist is ticked, you just got closer to attaining your visa. The next step is to have the right documents to apply, that is: Passport, BRP card, original CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) letter or subsequent letters (received from the university/universities), a completed degree certificate, or a letter from your university stating your successful completion of the course, and some proof of addresses.
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There is no financial requirement/ minimum amount in the bank needed for this visa route. Coming to the cost, it’s the Home Office fees of £700, paid one-off. The NHS (National Health Insurance) fees is an additional £624 a year, which would be paid for two years – resulting in £1,248.
So it’s fairly simple to achieve that Graduate Route finish line.
This is a big milestone for India in strengthening its relations with the United Kingdom and great news for hardworking Indian students.
by Ashik Mayakonda
Ashik, Indian National Students’ Association (INSA) UK, is studying BSc Hons Business Economics at the University of Exeter & is the President of the Indian Society, University of Exeter.
*This column is part of a regular iGlobal Campus Roundup series
